HP LaserJet shortages continue to plague market

Hewlett-Packard's channel partners have crossed their fingers that biting laser MFP, printers
and supplies shortages may ease in the next couple of months.

The shortfall in supply has been apparent since HP's fiscal Q4 which ended October last year
even though production has been ramped to meet the post recession rise in demand.

All HP distributors are facing the same challenge including Computer 2000, Westcoast, ETC and
Ingram Micro.

Alex Tatham, sales and marketing director at Westcoast, said it had been allocating HP
MFP and standalone printers stock on a first come first serve basis and a dramatic rise in
demand had exacerbated the issue.

"There has been no indication of when things will get better, maybe May," he told
MicroScope.

Reseller partners are obviously hoping the situation improves sooner rather than later.

"I have about half the IPG inventory I would normally expect to have at this time of the year,
with some slow signs of recovery as we move into the spring," said Andy Wright, director of vendor
alliances at corporate giant SCC.

With around half of the UK business market buying HP branded printer and MFP products, "the HP
customer base is very loyal and on the whole seems prepared to wait for kit to arrive," he
added.

Mike Rodwell, commercial director at Computacenter, said it had been "working hard" with
suppliers to secure supply and although he claimed the situation was easing, added: "We don't
expect things to fully recover for another three months."

Demand has exceeded supply, said James Kite, managing director at specialist reseller
Printerland, which supplies SMEs and education customers.

"It has been problematic because we have had to let down some customers, and in education for
example when a printer breaks they want it replaced quickly. Manufacturers have simply
underestimated demand," he said.

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